DENVER – Initially, the great thing about Internet mapping programs was their swiftness and ease for obtaining directions, printing them and driving the course you plotted. Now those Web maps can travel with you, too. And get updated on the road. And, on some wireless handhelds, show you exactly where …

MIAMI – Police are planning “in-your-face” shows of force in public places, saying the random, high-profile security operations will keep terrorists guessing about where officers might be next. Deputy Police Chief Frank Fernandez, who announced the program Monday, said as an example, officers might surround a bank, check the IDs …

NEW YORK – The sales outlook looks brighter for the holiday season, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday. The NRF, the world’s largest retail trade organization, raised its growth forecast Tuesday for the Christmas season to 6 percent from its September forecast of 5 percent. “When we had made the …

WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Kolbe, a leading proponent of free trade and the only openly gay Republican in Congress, announced Wednesday that he will not seek a 12th term next year, and cited Washington’s increasingly partisan atmosphere as one reason he’s leaving. “The mood on Capitol Hill is not a …

An advance in an experimental treatment that promotes natural insulin production among people with type 1 diabetes may mean that more patients will one day be able to live without daily insulin injections. Researchers used ultrasound guidance to help them inject and transplant insulin-producing cells, known as beta-islet cells, into …

Motorola Inc. has created a next-generation germ-resistant multimedia phone, the company announced Monday. The company’s newest i870 mobile device, which boasts MP3 player, video recording, GPS and two-way radio functions, also protects against bacteria with silver ion technology from Agion Technologies Inc., according to a recent news release. “Silver has …

LONDON – Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a new round of international talks on climate change Tuesday, encouraging G-8 nations and major polluters such as China and India to use cleaner forms of energy. He said that when the landmark Kyoto Protocol (search) expires in 2012, the international community would …

WASHINGTON – Net flows of foreign capital into U.S. assets surged unexpectedly to a record $101.9 billion in September, easing fears the United States will be unable to fund its trade gap, a government report showed Wednesday. Analysts polled by Reuters expected net inflows of $72.5 billion. Inflows were more …

HAVANA – A cheerful and fit-looking Fidel Castro scoffed at new reports of failing health, saying Thursday that he feels “better than ever.” But he also promised to step down if he became too ill to govern. At the University of Havana, the 79-year-old communist leader hugged and chatted with …

WASHINGTON – Washington lawmakers, citing sky’s-the-limit gasoline prices and record profits that followed hurricanes in the Gulf Coast this summer, say it’s time for a showdown with oil companies. According to statistics from the American Automobile Association, the national average for gasoline on Monday was $2.38 for regular unleaded, up …